Spark-plug connector and switch.



G. W: MANVILLE.

SPARK PLUG CONNECTOR AND SWITGH. APPLICATION FILED APR.5,1910.

983,738. 7 Fat-6mm Feb.7,1911.

- State of Pennsylvania,

' operating, or the tures of construction and enonen w. MANVILLE, or'rowAnnA, @E'NNSYLVANIA.

SPARK-PLUG CONNECTOR AND SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 7 ,1911.

Application filed April 5, 1910. Serial No. 553,584.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. MAiWILLE, a citizenof the United States,residing at Towanda, in the county of Bradford and have invented new anduseful Improvements in SparkPlug -Connectors and Switches, of which thefol- "lowing is a specification.

This'invention relates to devices for attaching circuit wires to theterm nals of spark plugs, either of the jump spark or the make-and-breaktype.

The invention has for one of its objects to improve and simplify theconstruction of devices of this character so as to comparatively simpleand inexpensive to manufacture, reliable and efficient in use, and sodesigned as-to be quickly attached or detached without danger ofinjuring the spark plug or altering the positions of the electrodes.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a connector thatembodies a switch, whereby the spark plug can be tested from time totime to see whether it is strength of the current may be determined bythe spark produced 7 by holding the switch partially open.

Another ob ect of the invention is the provision of combined connectorand testing device which includes a metallic tip adapted to be appliedto the ungrounded electrode of the spark plug, and to also form meansfor attaching the device to the spark plug so that the contact of. thedevice can engage the tip for completing the circuit and while thecontact is thus engaged, the device will be locked in position.

\Vith these objects in View, and others as will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention comprises the various novelfeaarrangement 0 parts which will be more, fully described hereinafterand set forth with particularity in the claims appended hereto.

' In the accompanying drawings,which illustrate one embodiment of theinvention Figure 1 is a side View of the combined connector and testingdevice applied to a spark plug. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of thedevice. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the combined electrode tip andattaching means fort-he device.

Similar reference characters are employed to designate correspondingparts throughout the several views.

' ball 5.

- connectionwith the lugs, the advantages of the COIlStl'llCtlOIl' andleferring to the drawing, A designates a spark plug which, in thepresent instance, is of the jump spark type but it 1s to be understoodthat a niake-and break plug may be used in connection with theinvention. The ungrounded electrode 1 .of the spark plug is providedwith a metallic tip a, which serves as means for attaching the combinedconnector and testing device B to the spark plug.

the fixed electrode, andabove the base is .a non-circular stem 3 thatvis surmounted by an enlarged portion 4: terminatingin a The base 9.andenlargement t provides spaced shoulders Gbetween which 'fits theinsulating supporting arm 7 of" the device B, the said armhaving one endbifurcated to form members 8 which straddlethe stem. .On the outer endof the arm 7 is a metallic standard 8 that is provided with, a screw 9,by which the circuit wire 10'is connected and on the upper end of thestandard is pivotedjit 11. a lever12 which.

is also of metal, and En this lever, are spr ng contacts 13 spaced apartto engageopposite sides of the portion 5 of the tip a.

outer end of the lever is provided with a handle 1 1 of insulatingmaterial for per-v mitting the lever to be readily manipulated withoutreceiving a shock.

\Vhen the device B is applied, the spring contacts .13 engage the tip aso that the device will be locked on the spark plug. When it is desiredto remove the device B, it is merely necessary to first raise the lever12 to disengage the contacts 13 from the tip and then by a lateral orhorizontal movement, thearm 7 can be slipped over the tip a. To applythe device B, the arm is first engaged with the tip aand then the leverdepressed to engage the spring contacts 13 with the tip. Whenever it isdesired to test the spark plug to see whether it is operatingeiiectively, the lever 12 can be raised slightly to separate the springcontacts from the ball 5 gap will be created across which a spark willjump if the electrodes of the spark plug are clean. Also by theintensity of the spark between the contacts 13' and ball 5, it can bedetermined.

From the foregoing description taken in accompanying drawof the methodof operation will be readily This tip has a, threaded base 2 into whichengages the upper end-0t The and in doing this, a slight apparent tothose skilled in the art to which the-inventionirelates, and while Ihave de scribed the principle of operation of the invention, togeterwith the device which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof,-I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merelyillustrative and that such changes may be made when dehe claims. WhatIcla'im as new and desire to secure "sired as, are within the scope of tby Letters Patent 1s:

1. The combinationof a spark plug including an electrode, and a nut onthe outer end of the electrode, with thecOmbined coni lectoran dswitchcompri'sing an insulating supporting arm fastened to the nut, anda contact movably mounted on the arm and shaped to grip the nut toconnect the spark plug in circultand to test the condition of the plugor circuit.

2'. The combination of a spark plug including an electrode, a metallictip on the outer end of the electrode having spaced shoulders, asupporting arm of insulation slidably' engaged between the shoulders, aswinging metallic lever mounted on the arm, means for connecting thelever with a conductor, and a contact on the lever arhearse ran ed toengage the tip to connect the elec- 89 tro e in circuit and to lock thearm on the tip. .7 1

3. The combination of a spark plug in- Witnesses eluding an electrode,end of the electrode, base, a stem connected non-circular cross sectconnected with the s ball, with a combined detachably mounted 0 samecomprising an insulati cber fitting between the ment of the ti p andenga thereof a metallic contac ed on the said member a gage the balltachment of the member for connecting the electro a conductor connectedwi 4. A device of the cla prising a tip adapted t spark plug electrode,an ing arm detachabl a lever mounted o of the tip 3 911g 11 theconductor, spaced s by the leve engagement with the connecting the leverin of current.

In testimony whereof I afli in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE W. MANVILLE r and mov'ab E. J. Barnes,

and a tip on the outer said'tip including a with the base and of ion, anenlargement tem and including connector and switch park plug, the ng bbaseand enlargeged with the stem t element support-' nd arrangedto'enfor preventing defrom the tip and de in circuit, and th theelement. ss described, como besecured to a insulating s'upport-. agingwith the tip,

arm'an'd formin g cont-acts carried 1e into and out of tip, and meansfor circuit with a source x my signature

